Bill Bennett one of B.C.’s ‘great builders’

For­mer B.C. pre­mier Gor­don Camp­bell hailed Bill Bennett on Fri­day as one of the province’s “great build­ers” and said that Bennett did more for B.C. than any­one in re­cent hist­ory. Bill Bennett, pre­mier from 1975 to 1986, died Thurs­day. He was 83.

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Updated: December 8, 2015

Vancouver Sun political columnist Vaughn Palmer reflects on the life and legacy of B.C.’s 27th premier, Bill Bennett, who has died at the age of 83.

For­mer B.C. pre­mier Gor­don Camp­bell hailed Bill Bennett on Fri­day as one of the province’s “great build­ers” and said that Bennett did more for B.C. than any­one in re­cent hist­ory.

Bill Bennett, pre­mier from 1975 to 1986, died Thurs­day. He was 83.

“He was a lead­er more con­cerned with do­ing things right than do­ing things popu­lar,” said Camp­bell, now Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

In an inter­view from Ot­tawa, Camp­bell said Bennett exe­cut­ed a sweep­ing eco­nom­ic plan for the province and was re­spon­sible for many of the im­port­ant eco­nom­ic bene­fits that B.C. to­day enjoys.

“I think Bill Bennett was the pre­mier who, with­out ques­tion set this province on its course of growth,” Camp­bell said.” There is not a pre­mier who has fol­lowed Bill Bennett who did not stand on a plat­form built by that man. “

Camp­bell said he first met Bennett while act­ing as an exec­u­tive as­sist­ant to Vancouver may­or Art Phillips. He later got to know him in his pol­it­ic­al cap­acity as a may­or and pre­mier.

Camp­bell said one of the most poign­ant mem­ories he has of Bennett was the day he chris­tened the W.R. Bennett Bridge in Ke­low­na in 2008. By that time Bennett was al­read­y dis­playing the signs of de­men­tia and it was clear that he wasn’t al­ways able to pay at­ten­tion.

“But that day, he re­peat­ed­ly smiled and shook hands. You could see the joy in his face. As we walked to the peak of the bridge it was clear this was a very spe­cial mo­ment for him.”

Camp­bell said that Bennett was re­spon­sible for many of the ma­jor eco­nom­ic and infra­struc­ture pro­jects that have shaped Brit­ish Col­um­bia, in­clud­ing Expo 86, the Vancouver Convention Centre, SkyTrain and the Coquihalla Highway.

“He was one of the great pol­it­ic­al build­ers of this province. Many of his pro­jects were ground­break­ing and sens­ible. I think there is no ques­tion he was act­ing al­ways in the best in­ter­est of Brit­ish Col­um­bia.”

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